MSN Family (Individual Across the Lifespan) Nurse Practitioner

The online Master of Science in Nursing degree prepares advanced practice nurses to function as Family (Individual Across the Lifespan) Nurse Practitioners to work in a primary care setting. Graduates of the program are eligible to take either the American Association of Nurse Practitioners Certification Program (AANPCP) examination or the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Family Nurse Practitioner certification examination. Upon successfully passing the certification examination, graduates are eligible for licensure as a Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner (CRNP). Students need not be Pennsylvania residents or intend to work in Pennsylvania to enroll in the program.All individuals applying for their Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner in Pennsylvania must have completed the Advanced Pharmacology course within 5 years of their application. It is recommended that students outside of Pennsylvania check with their individual State Board of Nursing for that state's requirements.

After being accepted for admission to the MSN program, each student is assigned a faculty mentor who will assist the student regarding questions related to the program and role as a family nurse practitioner. The graduate advisor will assist the student in the completion of a Program Plan. Students are required to complete 15 credits of MSN Core Courses, 9 credits of Clinical Core Course, and 21 credits of the Family Nurse Practitioner course work. Students are also required to complete 670 precepted clinical hours and 80 lab hours in the program.

This program is based upon national standards for nurse practitioner education and is consistent with the mission and philosophy of Duquesne University. The Duquesne faculty is committed to nurturing a flexible and creative scholarly environment that encourages students to participate actively in scientific inquiry and research.

Mandatory On-campus Visits

The School of Nursing requires two campus visits for all MSN Family (Individual Across the Lifespan) Nurse Practitioner (FNP) students. These visits are a required component of the online FNP program and have been put in place to maintain the integrity and high quality of our online FNP program. If you are in the military, please contact us; otherwise please note that there are no exceptions to these required campus visits.

On campus attendance is mandatory for:

For students enrolled in GPNG 528 Physical Assessment for Advance Practice Nursing course in the fall

For students enrolled in GNFN 510 Foundations of Family and Individual Care I course in the fall

Champions ethical decision making in all aspects of practice with self, patient/family, community, and health care delivery systems.

Commits to life long learning for self and consumers.

AACN Synergy Model

The Synergy Model for Patient Care, developed by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, has been adopted by the faculty and integrated into the undergraduate and graduate nursing curriculums. The core concept of the Synergy Model: the needs or characteristics of patients and families influence the characteristics or competencies of the nurse. Synergy results when the needs and characteristics of a patient, clinical unit or system match those of the nurse.

The Synergy Model describes eight patient characteristics (needs) and eight nurse characteristics (competencies); patient needs drive nurse competencies. Each individual characteristic is further delineated by levels of complexity or intensity. The core competencies of the nurse include clinical judgment, advocacy, clinical practices, collaboration, systems thinking, response to diversity, clinical inquiry and facilitation of learning. These eight competencies provide the basis for program and level outcomes in the undergraduate program. An additional ninth program/level outcome focuses on the synergy between the nurse’s competencies and patient characteristics as it relates to patient outcomes. Similarly, the graduate program outcomes are based on these same nurse characteristics but at a higher level. Underlying all competencies is the unique contribution of nurses to provide safe passage for patients and their families through the health care environment.

The table below illustrates the relationship between nurse competencies of the Synergy Model and the MSN program outcomes.